How to Market Small Beach Towns

Beach town communities are special destinations. From open sky vistas over a lake or ocean setting, to golden sands with kids playing, to surfing, boating and gorgeous sunsets, and amazing waterside dining experiences, they are a compelling experience for almost any visitor.

And these places deserve a special kind of marketing effort that recognizes the distinct beauty of their location, the town’s value as a preferred destination, and the special people that reside and do business there.  Marketing a beach town might seem like a no-brainer, but travel marketers would argue that planning and executing is no easy thing.

Every beach town marketing CEO has their own approach, tools, resources, budget and unique background and the question of “how do I market my beach town” could have plenty of answers. It will be more than a pretty website. In this post, I dive into the prospect of making your beach town come to life online, allowing you endless business and revenue outcomes.

Surfing for the Surfing Towns

If you’ve been surfing the web to check out beach towns, you might have noticed the special upbeat vibrancy of their websites and social media pages.  It’s that spirit of a unique and lively location that colors the culture of these towns. It raises expectations of how they should be marketed to visitors and vacationers. Large beach town and their DMO’s offer us some great models to fashion your next digital marketing campaign.

A Great Beach Town with Excellent Marketing

One relevant example from my own list of favorite places in California, just north of San Diego, is one with many attractions including world-famous Mission Beach and La Jolla. So many beach towns in So Cal and they are spectacular.  Yet, there is something very special about Oceanside. The name sure rings some bells, but its character is multidimensional.

Oceanside CA is the location of the West Coast’s longest wooden pier a formidable tourism asset.  This town has so much to offer, which is important to marketers.  We need these special venues/attractions to help get the brand across more vividly. Your marketing research may uncover what other similar towns have in venues and thus what your mayor might focus on to bring new successes.

Priority: Attracting the Ideal Audiences

What local governments want destination marketing teams to do, is to attract the ideal visitor, one who respects that these are communities worth preserving, to respect local residents, and keep the area beautiful for future visitors.

When we say beach town marketing, we’re talking about sustainable promotion, where it maintains the locale’s health and vibrancy while attracting vacationers whose visits will keep local businesses viable and thriving. Done poorly, such marketing can produce social and community erosion, raise prices and increase municipal costs.

Our goal will be to understand the true character of the town against what beach goers want to experience. It’s a happy medium that best draws new visitors while preserving the special character of the town. And it’s all to support a vacation town’s local small business economy from hotels to restaurants to small retail shops.

That brings us to the first order of a responsible and sustainable beach town marketing effort:

The Purpose of a Beach Town Marketing Strategy

1. Establish the goal for the campaign, the objectives and expected outcome of the effort.
   1. gradually increase the overall volume of visitors
   2. attract a desired and specific demographic or traveler profile
   3. increase the visibility of popular events and businesses in town
   4. raise awareness of the town and its features and amenities
   5. attract new residents or home buyers to the area
   6. engage with town businesses as a cohesive marketing effort to bring benefit to all constituents
   7. make the website and social media pages a central home base for all visitors

Beach Town Strategy & Brand Positioning

A destination or a town is a brand. It needs a powerful, relevant brand image and a compelling unique value proposition to allow the marketing team to pivot on, when selling the individual features and offerings. Without a powerful, laser clear brand, marketing promotions may suffer.

1. a) Define the unique identity of the town

• What is the town really about? Is it a relaxed family‐friendly beach, a surf/beach-adventure spot, a great new place to live, a historic seaside village, a nature‐focused place, or maybe a “hidden gem” off the beaten path?
• Basic questions: for your town, you need to decide “Why would someone travel there instead of going to a major beach resort?”

1. b) Target markets & segmentation

• Regional vacationing audiences (likely high priority). Especially given distance, seasonality, budget, revenue opportunity.
• Regional drive market (within, say, 2–4 hours of a major city).
• Niche segments: e.g., couples, families, sports and adventure seekers, wellness travelers, slow travelers, relaxation seekers.
• Consider off-season travelers (shoulder season) and maybe international if feasible.

1. c) Key marketing objectives

• Increase awareness: let more people know the town exists and what it stands for (SEO, PPC advertising, social media campaigns, publication articles/ads, etc.).
• Increase visitation: particularly in target segments and during off-peak periods (booking offers).
• Increase length of stay / higher spend: get visitors to stay one more day, explore more of the offer (emotionally engaging content, blogs, videos, extended stay discounts).
• Build local business engagement: ensure that accommodations, restaurants, activities are aligned with the story (blogs, social media, journalist outreach publicity, comarketing deals to pull local businesses into the marketing story.
• Sustainable tourism: small beach town means infusing environmental and cultural preservation into the marketing storyline.

1. d) Brand positioning statement (example)

“Discover [Wasaga Beach] — North America’s longest fresh water beach where sandy shores meet local charm, laid-back pace and memorable experiences.”
You’d adapt to your town’s specific strengths (e.g., surf, dunes, heritage, nature, kids playing, water sports).

2. Tactical Marketing Plan (channel + timeline)

Here’s how to translate the strategy into action.

1. a) Digital presence

• • Website: A modern, mobile-friendly site dedicated to the town’s tourism brand: highlight the beach, local attractions, events, accommodation, what makes it special. Use good photography and storytelling.
  • SEO: Gain visibility on Google for search queries like “beach town near [major city]”, “family beach vacation Canada”, “best coastal beaches in California.”
  • Social media: Instagram (high resolution beach visuals, families active on the beach, nature, sunsets), Facebook (events, local stories), TikTok/Reels (short fun beach moments).
  • Email marketing: Build a list of past visitors, opt-ins from site, and send seasonal offers, local stories, event alerts.
  • Paid ads: Google Search & Display targeting people researching beach vacations, retargeting visitors to your site, social media ads targeting specific demographics (families, couples, eco-travelers).
  • Content marketing/blog: Create blog posts around topics like “Top 5 beach hikes in [Town]”, “Best Sarasota beach spots”, “Sunset picnic spots in SD County” — so you capture intent and long-tail traffic.

1. b) Partnerships & local business integration

• • Engage local businesses (hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, activity providers) to adopt the brand, share consistent messages, offer packages (e.g., “Beach-+-Sunset cruise”, “Wellness by the shore”).
  • Cross-promote with nearby larger cities/regions (if the town is near a bigger hub) – positioning as the easy one day beach escape.
  • Work with regional tourism boards (provincial, national) to get visibility.

1. c) Events & experiences

• • Create signature events (season-launch beach festival, sand sculpture competition, sunset yoga on beach, night market on the boardwalk) to draw visitors and media attention.
  • Leverage seasonality (e.g., shoulder seasons) with special offers, packages: “Spring beach retreat”, “Fall beach getaway + harvest meals”, “Winter storm-watch walks”.
  • Build “experience” rather than just “beach”: combine nature walks, local gastronomy, heritage, family friendly activities.

1. d) Creative content & storytelling

• • Use strong visuals: beach sunsets, sea, dunes, local food, community.
  • Create “hero” content: e.g., drone footage of shoreline at golden hour, time-lapse of tides (if applicable), local stories (fisherman, artisan, heritage).
  • Create a great campaign slogan, e.g., Oceanside’s “Be O riginal”
  • Leverage user-generated content: encourage visitors to post with a branded hashtag, share their photos and stories.
  • Generate short form videos & reels for use on social media: e.g., “A day in [Town]” – morning coffee by the beach, paddleboard, sunset beach fire, local dining.
  • Interactive content: quizzes (“Which beach activity suits you?”), polls, Instagram Stories.
  • Influencer/micro-influencer campaigns: invite travel influencers/micro-influencers to stay for a weekend and document the town.

1. e) Metrics & KPIs

• Google rankings (prestige in being seen at the top of search results) and better leads arise from top 5 rankings.
• Website engagement (sessions, time on site, pages viewed, new users, bounce rate) and especially from ideal target markets.
• Social engagement: follower growth, likes/shares, mentions, hashtag usage.
• Conversion metrics: newsletter sign-ups, contacts, room search, accommodation bookings, event ticket sales.
• Visitor numbers: occupancy rates, length of stay, off-peak vs peak season.
• Economic impact: local business spend, restaurant/retail revenue uptick.

1. f) Campaign Timeline

• Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Brand identity defined, website updated, fan/ follower base started, some “soft launch” content to gauge interest.
• Phase 2 (Months 4-8): launch PPC campaigns, social campaigns, influencer visits.
• Phase 3 (Months 9-12): Peak season activation, measurement & iteration, begin off-season push, build repeat-visit strategy.
• Phase 4 (Year 2): Expand content library, refine targeting, deepen partnerships, explore new segments.

3. Creative Opportunities/Ideas

Read these creative ideas you could include in your marketing-service pitches:

Idea A: Drone & Motion Visuals “Beach Life from Above”

• Produce a short hero video (30–60 seconds) using a drone sweeping the coastline at sunrise/sunset, showing the beach, the town, people enjoying the shore.
• Use it as main header for website, and as social ad creative.
• Create a 15 sec version for Instagram/TikTok as vertical format (“60 seconds of [Town]”).
• Use B-roll clips of: kids building sandcastles, paddle board at golden hour, local café on boardwalk, night bonfire.

Idea B: “Local Stories” short video series

• Interview 2-3 locals: e.g., a fisherman/boat-tour guide, a café owner, a family who’s been coming for years.
• Create 1-2 minute videos: “Why I love [Town]”, “Hidden spot I take visitors”, “One secret beach dinner location”.
• Use these as social posts and embed on website “Discover the people of [Town]”.
• Encourage sharing on local business’ social channels too.

Idea C: Themed Experience Packages / Content Stories

• For families: “Beach & nature combo” – morning at the beach, afternoon at nature trail/park, evening ice cream by the pier. Build content and imagery.
• For couples: “Sunset escape” – beach walk, craft-beer/seafood dinner, stargazing on sand.
• For adventure: “Paddle & hike” – SUP on calm water, then a short forest trail, picnic with local produce.
• Create blog posts and video reels titled accordingly, and promote via ads targeted to these segments.

Idea D: Seasonal “Secrets of the Beach” content

• Off-peak season (autumn, winter): show calm beach with dramatic skies, “storm-watch walks”, cozy cafés with fireplaces, local craft shops.
• Content angle: “Why winter/spring is the new beach season” – less crowds, more space, unique photogenic moments.
• Use drone/time-lapse of stormy skies (if safe) to differentiate from typical summer beach imagery.

Idea E: User-Generated & Social Hashtag Campaign

• Create a branded hashtag, e.g., #Discover[Town]Beach or #BeachTownNameMoments.
• Encourage visitors to post their best photo with that hashtag; run a monthly “Best moment” photo contest (prize: local B&B stay, gift certificate).
• Repost top user content on town’s official social channels—this gives authenticity and lowers content production cost.
• Micro-influencer: invite a travel micro-influencer (5k–20k followers) for a weekend and have them post stories/in-feed about “My weekend at [Town]”.

Idea F: Lookbook/Travel Guide Graphic + PDF

• You produce a downloadable “mini-guide” PDF (or interactive web version) – e.g., “48 Hours in [Town]” with suggested itinerary, map, photo spots, local eats, hidden gems.
• This becomes a lead-magnet: you collect emails when people download → nurture via email marketing.
• Use this to drive bookings.

Idea G: Virtual Reality / 360° Beach Experience

• Create a 360° video or interactive web panorama of the beach at golden hour, maybe from a drone or tripod.
• Embed on website as “Experience the shoreline before you arrive”.
• Use for immersive social posts (Facebook/YouTube VR) or as part of an ad – helps differentiate.

Idea H: Influencer Content Day / Press Trip

• Host a short press/influencer event: bring 3–5 travel bloggers/Instagrammers for a weekend, provide structured experiences (sunrise paddle, local seafood dinner, beach picnic).
• Have them produce Instagram posts, Reels, blog posts tagged with the town.
• Amplify via paid social ads that boost their content.

4. Budget and Resource Considerations

• Because it’s a small town, you may have limited budget – so allocate carefully:
  • “Content first”: invest in high-quality visuals early (drone, short videos) because these assets will serve many channels.
  • Social and email campaigns can be relatively low-cost.
  • Paid ads should be targeted and optimized (drive-market, narrow segments) not broad.
  • Partner with local businesses so they co-invest or share resource/load (content, promotion).
  • Evaluate what’s free and owned vs paid (website, social vs ads).

5. Risk & Mitigation

• Seasonality: Beach towns are often very seasonal; ensure you build shoulder season offers so you don’t just rely on peak summer.
• Overcrowding / local resistance: If you succeed, you might bring large volumes – consider infrastructure, local resident sentiment, sustainability of tourism.
• Weather / climate factors: Canadian beaches might have short warm season; ensure you highlight more than just sunbathing (nature walks, heritage, local food).
• Consistency: Local businesses may have different brand voices; unify brand guidelines and encourage adoption.

7. Creative Visuals

Emotionally moving visuals are a backbone part of your content strategy: sweeping coastline shots, families playing on a beach, a local café by the shore, watersports, and sunset silhouettes.

Drone videos, video from boats, and walking videos along paths and beachfront are great for providing transparency and awareness of the real, full beauty of your beach destination. After all, marketing is competitive

If you’re a small beach town DMO, I hope this plan at least inspires you to launch confidently with hope and purpose into a project. In any marketing effort, awareness improves as you progress. You know that old saying “Just Do It!”  That’s so true. Activation unleashes creativity, possibilities and begins to illuminate the path to your marketing goal.

If I can be of any help, I’d be pleased to speak with you and discover your amazing beach town, waiting for the world to visit.

See more on digital travel marketing and an easy travel marketing playbook.  Considering investing in a travel business? It’s worth a look given travel may be one of the most sustainable sectors as AI changes every industry.

Title graphic screenshot courtesy of Visitoceanside.org.